Emberlight's Story
by Riverspirit456
Summary: Emberlight shares the story of how she overcame her disability.


"Hey, Emberlight?"

"Yes?"

"Can you tell me your story again?"

"Again? I tell it to you almost every day!"

"But it helps me!"

"Oh, really? Fine, I'll tell you, but I'm going to make it short."

"That's fine!"

"Well then, I'll start at the beginning...

I still remember the feeling of waking up in the medicine den with absolutely no idea of what had happened, and how I'd gotten there. The medicine cat, Hollowtree, told me to lie back down and rest, and that I'd been through something very traumatic. The only problem was, I didn't remember what I'd been through! My memory was hazy, and I could only envision flashes of claws and pain. Hollowtree told me a fox had attacked me, and at some point I must have hit my head. I thought that was probably right, but he didn't seem as sure, even though it was his explanation.

My mother, Clearsky, came to visit me, and I knew that something was terribly wrong. She looked at me with sorrow and fear, and I just couldn't figure out why.

That's when I realized my vision was blurry, and my mother's voice seemed faint. I stumbled to the nearest pool, and when I looked at my reflection-"

"Your face was covered in cobwebs!"

"Yes it was, Nightkit. And when those cobwebs were removed, I saw that the left half of my face, including my ear, had been torn away. I used to be a pretty she-cat, but now I was permanently scared…But it wasn't the scars that really bothered me. It had always been my dream to be a warrior, but now the entire left side of my face was blind! I couldn't even hear out of my ear anymore!

After I discovered just how damaged I was, I thought I'd never be a warrior. After all, what use would a half-blind cat serve? I could barely hunt, and fighting was twice as hard. But Ravenflight, my mentor continued to train me anyway. She pushed me harder than ever before, and one day I gave up.

'Why are you doing this, Ravenflight?!' I asked her. 'We both know that I'll never be a warrior! I may as well join the elders! Or maybe I should just die!'

She turned on me and said-"

" 'How dare you say that! Your disability is only an obstacle! I can see a fire inside you, Emberpaw. You will make an amazing warrior; you just have to work to overcome this problem!'"

"That's right, Nightkit. You got it, word for word. Ravenflight shouted that at me, and although I said nothing, I was shocked. Deep down, I wanted to believe her, but how could I? It had been moons since my injury and I had yet to catch a single mouse, or come close to beating another apprentice in battle!

The more I thought about it, the more I convinced myself that, despite Ravenflight's words, I was simply a burden to my clan.

So I left.

One night, I snuck out of the apprentice den and crept along the lakeside until I reached the stream that separates Windclan and Thunderclan. I decided to follow it, hoping it would take me somewhere far away. I walked for sometime beside it. The wind tugged at my side as I left the trees and journeyed across a rocky hillside.

Suddenly, my paw slipped on something! I tumbled over a cliff and rolled down a path, coming to a stop in a strange place. There were rock walls towering on all sides, and a moonlit pool in the center of the space. The stars shimmered on the pools smooth surface, and without realizing, my paws led me to its edge. Before I could stop myself, I had bent down and taken a sip of the water.

Instantly I found myself surrounded by Starclan warriors! It was incredible! I never thought I'd be able to see Starclan cats in my lifetime, yet there were dozens sitting all around me! One of them stepped forward, and I saw that half of her face, like mine, had been torn away. She smiled and said…"

"…Go on!"

"I was waiting for you to interrupt me again."

"I won't! Finish the story."

"Haha! Alright. She said, 'Hello, young one. My name is Brightheart. I was a Thunderclan warrior, and I have been watching you ever since you were attacked. Like you, my face was destroyed when I was an apprentice. For a while, I too believed that I would only be a burden to my clan…that I would never be a warrior, but my mate, Cloudtail, and my closest friends convinced my otherwise. With their help, I was able to compensate for my disability. I learned how to guard my blind side in battle, and learned how to track prey primarily using scent instead of sound and sight. After moons of extra training, I became a great warrior, and I served my clan well for many moons.'

'But…but Brightheart, that was _you_!' I responded. 'I don't know if I can do the same things you did! I-I'm not that strong…'

'Yes you are,' she told me softly. Then she leaned down and looked me in the eye. 'Ravenflight wasn't lying when she said she saw a fire in you. I, and the rest of Starclan, have seen it too! You have an amazing destiny, Emberpaw.'

With that, she touched her nose to mine, and the Starclan cats faded away.

I returned to my clan after that, her words still echoing in my mind. When I reached the camp, I stood on the little hill overlooking it and thought for a moment. That was when I realized everything Brightheart and Ravenflight had said was true! My disability, like Brightheart's, was only an obstacle I needed to overcome. Although I may not become the best warrior, I could still serve my clan well. I just needed to work hard and develop ways to compensate.'"

"So you went back and you trained hard!"

"Of course! I had help from Brightheart. She visited me in dreams sometimes and gave me tips, but it was Ravenflight who really helped. She never lost her temper, and never once gave up on me."

"I hope I get a mentor like that."

"Oh, don't worry, Nightkit. I'm sure your mentor will be someone amazing."

Emberlight flicked the kit's ear with her tail playfully, and the little black she-kit smiled. Hopping to her paws, Nightkit turned and limped away, her disformed paw dragging along the ground. Emberlight watched her go with a feeling of warmth; glad the kit was so energetic despite her deformity.

Suddenly, Nightkit spun around,

"I hope my mentor's you!" she called, and without waiting for a reply, ran clumsily into the nursery.

Emberlight laughed.


End file.
